CSU HEAD SAYS BROWN’S PLAN RAISES CONCERNS

San Diego 
California State University Chancellor Timothy White expressed concern Wednesday that the governor wants to tie state funding to increasing the number of freshmen who graduate in four years and to other targets that could undermine the school’s mission.

In a visit to San Diego, White said CSU needs to be accountable for how it spends tax dollars. But he said some requirements linked to financial incentives could detract from the system’s ability to serve working parents and other students who take longer to finish their degree programs.

“I want to make sure we measure what we value and not value what we measure, and part of the conversation about performance-related measures is: Are they going to drive us from our mission?” he said in a meeting with U-T San Diego’s editorial board.

The new chancellor was visiting San Diego State University on Wednesday and Thursday.

Gov. Jerry Brown also is seeking a four-year freeze on tuition and fees at the state’s higher education institutions and a stipulation that more students coming from community colleges finish their studies within two years, the Los Angeles Times reported this week.

White said his office was not consulted about the proposals and CSU officials are now talking with state Department of Finance officials on “refining what those measures are.”